Oh Sally. Remember such hasty promises by Paddy Ashdown (hat eating) and Gary Lineker (presenting in his boxers). Good luck.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
New cycle lanes blamed for crash on Milngavie Road (Bears Way)
(70 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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No word on what *is* the best way
Well they could close every other road to cars.
Posted 8 years ago # -
You could re-design every major road using cycle infrastructure "standards". I imagine traffic might reduce on roads like the bypass with the addition of a few chicanes, a requirement to change sides every few hundred meters and the road eventually turning into a dirt track for no obvious reason in the middle of a field near Wester Hailes, with a sign saying "Drivers dismount".
Posted 8 years ago # -
a requirement to change sides every few hundred meters
Or we could use a policy of the Canadian Rhinoceros Party: change to driving on the right hand side of the road. Quite a drastic change, so it should be phased in over 5-10 years - HGVs first, then buses and tractors, cars etc.Posted 8 years ago # -
SNP voted it down. Gutting.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The transport planning genius was local SNP Councillor Keith Small:
@magnatom
Keith Small SNP: 'Segregation not the best way to 10%. Cycle routes from where people live to shops and schools are...' Umm, err #Bearsway
Keith Richards would be a better local Councillor.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Sounds like grim chat from another porridgy municipal drone. Scotland is a long, long way behind The Other Place when it comes to cycling, n'est-ce pas?
Posted 8 years ago # -
But, but, Scotland (& its largest party) is sooo progressive compared to those Sassenachs? Don't make me laugh.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Murun Buchstansangur
I'm certainly not a fan of suggestions that any country is better - more progressive for instance - than any other. Scottish culture certainly has its peculiarities and its pockets of behaviours and beliefs that I find horrifying. London, being rich and dense and packed with clever young people has been forced to accommodate mass cycling. The Glasgow suburbs haven't yet been. But we can take another measure and suggest that the Jocks are streets ahead of their neighbours in the internationalist stakes;
Posted 8 years ago # -
IWRATS, I'd take an SNP Scottish government over a Conservative one, for sure (though taxation policies of either party are so close you'd struggle to fit a cigarette paper in the gap between them). SNP councillors seem to be almost universally dire reactionaries (one or two exceptions proving the rule).
Also across the board their transport policies are, by any measure regressive (except perhaps that of indulging the motorist and road freight hauliers). Lip service is paid to any transport mode that is not a motor vehicle: that holds true for public transport as much as for active travel. Investment in bus services is poor, deregulation continues; the only rail improvement not previously approved by the pre-SNP Lib/Lab coalition is Edinburgh Gateway station, in itself a sop given for cancelling EARL. I suppose air travel may do well under the SNP but this is hardly progressive policy either.
If we were to sum up SNP transport policy with a slogan it might be something like this: Vote SNP and drive on a new motorway to your marginally cheaper flight to the sun.
Posted 8 years ago # -
London, being rich and dense and packed with clever young people has been forced to accommodate mass cycling
One would hope the same could be said about Edinburgh.
If Scotland is going to be able to stand on its own two feet (and new tax raising powers means it is increasingly incentivised to do so), it will need to ensure it is attractive as a place for people to live, work and play.
Places that understand the need to attract the dynamic young and intelligent folk that companies need to be successful are forging ahead with their place-making, traffic-reducing and environment-improving initiatives.
Scotland simply isn't at the moment. The governing party has all the levers it needs to do it, including the most centrally controlled party machine I've ever seen in this country, but it just isn't doing it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Places that understand the need to attract the dynamic young and intelligent folk that companies”
Not sure that Edinburgh is the place for dynamic, more state industry in Edinburgh, government, council, university, banks etc, In Waverley station everyone dawdles annoyingly slowly (compared to London) as they work for the government so it does not matter if get to work on time as non-merit type organizations makes no odds, as outcomes relates more to some pre-determined privilege or so someone said. Possibly Glasgow more for the dynamic using the "station speed indicator" as people seem a bit zippier in the station.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Edinburgh could be said to have government, government-supported financial services and a government-supported arms manufacturer as its principal employers. The city is very conservative as a result or as a cause, who knows? And yet we cycle more than other Scots.
The SNP seem to my eye to be a coalition between three or four separate wings and generations. I've met one of their councillors and he was frighteningly simian in outlook. Equally I know one of their ex-MSPs and he's as radical as they come. Would fit in the Greens a treat.
Their core thing is that they have one 'out there 100% mental' idea to sell and nothing else they do can be allowed to scare any horses. They need to be seen as normal in every other respect and that means following the thundering herd down the dual carriageway to the airport. That thundering herd includes many of us and most of our neighbours and colleagues.
So come 2017 I guess we should all be trying to either get ourselves elected or get Scottish Greens elected?
Posted 8 years ago # -
"So come 2017 I guess we should all be trying to either get ourselves elected or get Scottish Greens elected?"
I'll pass on the former, but intend to do my best to enable the latter.
Posted 8 years ago # -
If you look at growth in Edinburgh it's the tech and science sectors that show the most promise - lots to be said for having universities that people want to come to (which can be driven by the built as much as the academic environment). Presence of finance and government help too.
Not sure economic dynamism is directly reflected by rushing about. These growth industries are knowledge-based and tend to have a more relaxed attitude to getting got work on time. After all, you can't do time and motion studies on people who aren't doing piece work.
But still, put all those slow walkers on bikes and think how much more dynamic would the city seem to investors, Ed1.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"If you look at growth in Edinburgh it's the tech and science sectors that show the most promise"
"
Caroline Young, PR and content executive at ESPC, told the News why Edinburgh remains a desirable city to live in.
She said: “Edinburgh is the financial and political centre of Scotland, and has also made gains in becoming a centre for technology, with Amazon and Skyscanner both located here, so these well-paid jobs are an attractive prospect and therefore drive up demand for property, thus increasing selling prices.
“Edinburgh also has a large share of Scotland’s top private schools, and so properties near to those areas drive up prices, as does the desirability of Georgian properties in the New Town, which is a world heritage area.”
Councillor Jason Rust, who represents Fairmilehead and Swanston, said he wasn’t surprised two of his wards were named within the highest value areas.
He said: “I am not surprised by the figures given the beautiful location beneath the Pentland Hills whereby residents can have the best of both urban and rural environments.
"
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Posted 8 years ago #
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Petition to complete the Bears Way route here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/complete-the-bearsway-project?bucket&source=twitter-share-button
Posted 8 years ago # -
Bearsway Advocacy Ride - 6th November
https://friendsofbearsway.wordpress.com/2016/10/23/complete-the-bears-way-advocacy-ride/
Posted 8 years ago # -
CCE outing on the 6th ???
Posted 8 years ago # -
CCE outing on the 6th ???
Absolutely. By happy coincidence, the chieflets and I will be in the West for the Track World Cup and the timing just about works :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Diarised and free to attend
Do love a bit of a mass cycle
Posted 8 years ago # -
Hi Guys,
If any of you can come through that would be brilliant. This isn't just about Bears Way. If we can get a good turnout it will send a message to councils throughout Scotland that we won't just sit back and let bike-lash ruin the chances of a people friendly Scotland.A good turnout will remind councillors that they will have a political battle on their hands if they do vote against good quality cycle schemes.
Say hi if you come through!
Posted 8 years ago # -
I injured knee last Monday so have been taking the train to work someday, if recovered by then like a long cycle on Sunday often borders or over bridge sometimes, 4 a bit hours Google says`. The only slight issue may be the time of day as the light starts to fade earlier in the day and change in the clocks 13:30 may not leave enough light hours to get back
Posted 8 years ago # -
Bearsway was discussed on John Beattie this lunchtime.
Has Cllr Small (SNP) saying that the road used to be safe and demanding accident statistics to provexplain it otherwise...
Posted 8 years ago # -
You need at least three years worth of accident statistics before you can prove the impact of a particular scheme, anything less is subject to too much random variation.
Posted 8 years ago # -
These SNP Cllrs (it does appear to be them who cause trouble) just completely miss the point. Of course a road is going to be safe if no one cycles on it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Of course a road is going to be safe if no one cycles on it."
I think the councillor's argument was worse than that - some people cycled before the new segregation, so it's all ok.
I didn't hear the whole thing, but seemed to be full of predictable missingthepointness.
'Why should this be done for (cycle) commuters - most people drive'. 'More need to provide local routes to where people want to go - schools etc.'
Posted 8 years ago # -
'Why should this be done for (cycle) commuters - most people drive'
Unfortunately this is a point of view shared by many, many people. Presumably quite a few people with similar views vote SNP...
Small by name, small-minded by nature...
Posted 8 years ago #
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